Foosball Men & Players
Whatever you happen to call them in your circle of friends, men are a crucial part of the table that can make or break your ability to perform advanced shots. You want to look for players that do not have rounded, slick toes. Instead, look for a foosball table with figures that have a pointed toe and a cross-hatching design on the foot that allows for better ball control. This will allow you to catch the foosball and pin the ball down for advanced shots like the snake shot. The traditional man that has a round, slick toe design does not allow you to pass the ball to players back and forth on the same rod and is not conducive to shooting bank shots.
Bank shots require a sharp edge on the foosball man's toe because you need to hit the ball off the side at a sharp angle in order to hit a crisp bank shot. Traditional guys also use screws and nuts to secure the men in place, which weigh down the foosball rod movement and can easily come loose over time. This is one of the many reasons why we recommend Tornado or Dynamo tables. The newer style players that comes standard on these tables are secured with a lightweight pin that will not come loose unless the pin itself breaks.
The Visual Difference in the Foosball Men's Toes
The toe on the traditional man is not just rounded on the bottom, it also lacks a cross-hatching grip pattern that is available on the Tornado style man. This cross-hatching is extremely important for catching, passing, pinning the ball against the table, and overall ball control. As you can easily tell from the zoomed in version of the foosball player's toe below, this is a large factor in being able to play the game at an advanced level.
The toe on the traditional man is not just rounded on the bottom, it also lacks a cross-hatching grip pattern that is available on the Tornado style man. This cross-hatching is extremely important for catching, passing, pinning the ball against the table, and overall ball control. As you can easily tell from the zoomed in version of the foosball player's toe below, this is a large factor in being able to play the game at an advanced level.
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Rounded Toe Design
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Cross-Hatch Toe Design
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Counter Balanced or Counter Weighted Foosball Men
Counter balanced or counter weighted foosball guys is a feature you see in some of the higher-end tables and is a must have in our opinion. Counter balanced players mean that there is a weight in the head of the man equal to the weight of the toe. If your table does not have a weight in the head of the men, it will be frustrating to play a one on one game. When you are on defense you will have to rotate your men all the way upside down vertically because the weight in the feet will make them fall down if you have them horizontal. You will also notice that the heads of your own men will block your shots that have a lift on them. With counterbalanced figures, you will be able to rotate your men horizontally and they will stay in that position and out of your way. Counterbalanced men also can add a little bit of speed to your shots due to the increased weight on the player.
Counter balanced or counter weighted foosball guys is a feature you see in some of the higher-end tables and is a must have in our opinion. Counter balanced players mean that there is a weight in the head of the man equal to the weight of the toe. If your table does not have a weight in the head of the men, it will be frustrating to play a one on one game. When you are on defense you will have to rotate your men all the way upside down vertically because the weight in the feet will make them fall down if you have them horizontal. You will also notice that the heads of your own men will block your shots that have a lift on them. With counterbalanced figures, you will be able to rotate your men horizontally and they will stay in that position and out of your way. Counterbalanced men also can add a little bit of speed to your shots due to the increased weight on the player.
Counter Balanced Foosball Men Example
Foosball Replacement Men Price
Playing foosball with a broken man can make for an extremely unfair and annoying foosball soccer game. If one of your men has broken, we recommend ordering a new man online and reading our Replace a Foosball Man Guide.
Foosball men can be really expensive if you have to replace all 26 men on your table (or 22 with the single goalie design). However, if you just need a couple guys that have broken over time, you can pick up individual men for about $4-6 each online, depending on the type of man is the right fit. Due to the high price of men, it is not recommended to purchase a table without counter balanced men and try to upgrade it later on. Make sure you review the table before you make a purchase to see if it comes standard with counter balanced men.
Playing foosball with a broken man can make for an extremely unfair and annoying foosball soccer game. If one of your men has broken, we recommend ordering a new man online and reading our Replace a Foosball Man Guide.
Foosball men can be really expensive if you have to replace all 26 men on your table (or 22 with the single goalie design). However, if you just need a couple guys that have broken over time, you can pick up individual men for about $4-6 each online, depending on the type of man is the right fit. Due to the high price of men, it is not recommended to purchase a table without counter balanced men and try to upgrade it later on. Make sure you review the table before you make a purchase to see if it comes standard with counter balanced men.
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